Train-ventilating system.



110.846.09'7. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. J. H. ELWARD. TRAIN VBNTILATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1905.

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(HE "cams PETERS c 0., WASHINGTON u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAIN-VENTILATING SYSTEM- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed June 14, 1905. Serial No. 265,234.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H, ELWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Ventilating Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in car-ventilating systems, it pertaining particularly to that system of car-ventilating in which air ducts 'or pipes lead from the for ward part of the train continuously to the rear thereof and are provided within the respective cars of the train with airdistribut ing. devices.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train equipped with. my improved system of ventilation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of the front part of the air-pipe line, illustrating the two ways in which air can be introduced into and forced through the piping system. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end of a car equipped with my. invention, illustratingthe means for distributing the air within the car and for separating foreign substances therefrom. Fig. 4 is a cross-sec tional view of the valve mechanism in the front part of the air-pipe system.

In the drawings,A represents the train as an entirety, B a locomotive, and C the coaches or cars of the train.

D represents the air-duct ventilating system as an entirety. Preferably this system of air-line consists of a pipe or duct 1, arranged longitudinally of the locomotive and secured thereto and having at its front end the enlarged flaring opening or funnel 1 Preferably this funnel-like part has a screen 1 stretched across its mouth and secured to the walls of the funnel. 2 is a relief-valve in the said pipe or duct 1, adapted to be adjusted to permit the escape of air through it should the pressure of the air within the duct exceed a certain predetermined point.

The funnel 1 preferably has its mouth arranged in a vertical plane transverse to the longitudinal lines of the locomotive and with its smaller end in the rear of the mouth, so that it is adapted to permit the flow of air directly on the longitudinal lines of the train when the train is advancing or when the wind is-blowing in a direction opposing the advance of the train.

3 represents a pipe or duct communicating at 3 with the pipe or duct 1.

3 is a pipe extending forward from the pipe 3. It is curved back upon itself at its adapted to prevent the entrance into the air-duct of relatively large particles of mate rial, bugs, or the like.

5 indicates a valve mechanism connected with the ducts 1 and 3 and arranged to control the free passage of air through them, respectively. This valve mechanism com-f prises the valve 5, adapted to control the passage of air through the duct 1 the valve 5" adapted to control the passage of air through the duct 3 the connecting devices 5* between the said valves arranged, as shown, to

simultaneously effect the closing of one of sa1d ducts and the openmg of the other, and the valve-actuat1ng mechanism extend ng from the said valves to a point within the reach of the operator within the locomotivecab.

6 indicates as an entirety a pump adapted to draw air through the pipe or duct 3 when the valve 5 therein is opened and to deliver the air under pressure through the duct 3 to the duct 1 at a point in the rear of the valve 5 therein and to force the saidair through the ventilating system. This pump may be of any well-known type. For the purpose of illustration I have shown it as a rotary pump supplied with steam from the boiler of the locomotive through the duct 7, the flow of steam through which is controlled by a valve 8, arranged within the locomotive-cab.

Each of the cars or coaches C of the train is equipped with an air pipe or duct 9, preferably arranged longitudinally thereof and along the roof of each car and fitted at either end with one element of a flexible coupling device. These coupling devices may be of any of the types now well known and used in the connecting of air-ducts for the air-brake systems on trains. Each of the pipes or ducts 9 on the cars 0 is provided with two valves 11 11, arranged at either end of the ICC car and adapted to control the flow through the pipe. Between these valves 11 11 branch ducts or pipes 12 12 lead from the pipes 9 through the roof of and into the interior of each car.

13 is a valve arranged in each pipe 12 near its delivery end and adapted to control the flow of air therethrough.

14 are air-current deflectors or distributors arranged to distribute air when it leaves the ducts 12 and to prevent the formationof undesirable drafts within the car. Preferably these distributers are cup-shaped and have the lower end of the pipes 12 arranged within the cavity of the cup, the distributers being held in position by the brace-rods 14, secured at one end to the adjacent end of the pipe 12 and at the other end to the concave wall of the distributers.

15 indicates a duct or pipe extending downward from the center of the cup-shaped distributer 14, the latter being provided with an opening situated immediately opposite the end of the duct or pipe 12. The pipe 15 leads through the bottom of the car-body or is otherwise disposed to discharge into the open air. Preferably the connection between the interior of each cup-shaped dis tributer and its duct 15 is funnelshaped, as indicated at 16. The purpose of this arrangement of parts is to receive such particles of dust and other material as may be conveyed by the air through the ventilating system, these materials or substances being directed into the funnel 16 and thence to the open air beneath. the ear. The ducts 15 are of relatively smaller diameter than the ducts 12, so that only a small portion of the air flowing from the ducts 12 is conveyed through the ducts 15, and the pressure within these ducts 15 is fnaintained sufficiently high to carry off the foreign materials with great rapidity.

15 are valves adapted to control the flow of air and foreign substances through the ducts 15.

The advantage of having an auxiliary airforcing means, such as embodied in my invention and shown in the duct 3, having the rearwardly-opening funnel 4 and the pumping mechanism associated therewith, will be at once apparent. I am aware of the fact that car-ventilating systems have been devised in which lines of piping were arranged longitudinally of the cars and communicated at their forward ends through large funnels with the outside air; but I believe myself to be the first to have devised a car-ventilating system in which the same longitudinally-arranged air-duct may be supplied with air from either a forwardly-directed funnel under natural draft or a rearwardly-directed funnel under forced draft mechanically created. The principal advantage of my system of ventilation lies in the fact that unof air der ordinary circumstances when the atmos phere is clear the operator may run with the auxiliary system cut off, and the main funnel 1 receives the air and directs it into the duct 1 but in the event of there being a duststorin, snow-storm, or the like, with the wind in such direction as to oppose the progress of the train, it is then both essential and necessary for the proper and efficient ventilation of the train that the dust and snow be prevented from getting into the air-ventilating ducts, and to accomplish this with my sys tem the valve mechanism 5 may be brought into operation, cutting off the supply of air to the duct 1 from the funnel 1 and permit ting air under pressure to be delivered to the said duct from the pump 6, the pump receiving air from the funnel 4, which is arranged to take it in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wind is blowing, thus avoiding the introduction into the ducts of the ventilating system of immense quantities of dust, snow, or the like.

Any suitable means may be employed on the cars or coaches C for withdrawing therefrom the air supplied to them by the ducts 13. For example, I have shown ventilatingtransoins arranged at the opposite ends of the cars; but these ventilators may be arranged elsewhere in the car, if desired.

IVhile I have shown in the drawings the system of piping arranged on relatively elevated lines leading along the tops of the cars or coaches, it will be understood that the pipe-lines may be carried beneath the cars or coaches, if desired. I have shown the piping system arranged only on one side of the train; but an exact duplicate of this system may be used with advantage on the opposite side of the train when desired.

What I claim is 1. In a car-ventilating system, a plurality of air-ducts, each carried by one of the cars, coupling devices for connecting the ducts together, an air-duct adapted to be arranged on the locomotive of the train and to be coupled to the duct of the next adjacent car, and having a funnel at its front end adapted to intro duce air under natural draft, an auxiliary duct connected with said duct on the locomotive and having a funnel-mouth disposed to draw in air into the said duct in a direction opposite to that in which it enters the funnel of the main duct, a double-acting valve mechanism adapted to open one of said ducts, and to close the other one, and an air-pump connected with said auxiliary duct and arranged to draw air through it and deliver it to the main duct.

2. In a train-ventilating system, the combination with air-ducts arranged upon the cars to be ventilated, and adapted to be connected in a series when a train is made up, of a main air-supply duct adapted to be carrie I by the locomotive, and having a funnel at its front end adapted to direct air traveling in one direction into the said main duct, an auxiliary air-duct connected with said main airduct, and having at its front end a funnel arranged to take air in an opposite direction to that in which it enters the funnel on the main air-duct, a double-acting valve mechanism arranged to cut off the flow of air through one of said ducts and permit its flow through the other one thereof alternately, and an airpump connected with said auxiliary duct, and adapted to deliver air to said main airduct.

3. In a car-ventilating system, the combination with the air-ducts on the cars to be ventilated, of a main air-supply pipe arranged upon the train, and having at its forward end a funnel arranged to deliver air under natural draft to said main duct, an auxiliary air-duct connected at one end with said main air-duct, and having at its forward end a funnel adapted to receive air on lines opposed to the lines on which air enters the first-described funnel, a valve in said main air-duct between the funnel at the forward end thereof and the point at which the auxiliary duct connects with the main air-duct, a valve in said auxiliary duct between the funnel at one end thereof and the point of connection of said duct with said main air-duct, means for operating said valves arranged to alternately open one and close the other one of said ducts to the passage of air, an airpump connected with said auxiliary duct at a point between the valve therein and the connection of said duct with the main air-duct, and means for actuating said air-pump.

4. In a train-ventilating system, the combination of an air-duct leading to the cars to be ventilated and provided at its forward end With a funnel or air-collector opening forward, an auxiliary duct connected with the main air-duct and provided with an end opening in a direction substantially opposite to that in which the said funnel or air-collector opens, means for forcing air into the main duct through the auxiliary duct, and valves for controlling the passage of air through the said main and auxiliary vducts, substantially as set forth.

5. In a train-ventilating system, the combination of a main air-duct, a branch pipe leading therefrom arranged to deliver to the interior of the car, a cup-shaped distributer situated opposite to the open end of the branch pipe and provided with an opening substantially in line therewith, and a duct or pipe leading from the said distributer, and connected With the said opening therein, and arranged to carry off foreign substances delivered with the air through the branch pipe, substantially as set forth.

6. In a train-ventilating system, the combination with a main air-duct and a branch leading therefrom and arranged to deliver air to the interior of a car, of a cup-shaped distributer situated opposite the open end of the branch pipe, having a funnel-shaped connection 16 disposed substantially in line with the branch pipe, and a pipe or duct of smaller size than the branch pipe leading from the said funnel-shaped connection and arranged to carry off foreign particles that may be introduced along with the air delivered through the branch pipe, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. ELWARD.

Witnesses E. R. ALEXANDER, AUGUSTE J. LIX. 

